Previous non-electrophoretic sequencing and genotyping methods have not taken advantage of the continuous detection of PPi release from incorporated nucleotides. In the prior art of PPi sequencing (www.pyrosequencing.com), each nucleotide Adenosine-5′ phosphate “A”, Cytidine 5′-phosphate “C”, Guanosine 5′-phosphate, Uridine 5′-phosphate “U” and Thymidine 5′-phosphate “T”, is added separately to a reaction mixture containing the nucleic acid target and a polymerase. The current nucleotide is removed before the next is added. Incorporation of a nucleotide is accompanied by release of PPi from the NTP, detected by a secondary assay for PPi. A secondary assay is required because the PPi moiety of the NTP is not labeled. Only one nucleotide can be tested per cycle; if all 4 NTPs were present simultaneously, the polymerization reaction would continue uncontrolled and no sequence information could be obtained. Read length is limited by loss of synchronization among the target nucleic acid molecules in the sample.
Other non-electrophoretic methods, such as the stepwise ligation and cleavage of probes on DNA fragments attached to microbeads, requires synchronization of the DNA molecules that inevitably decays with each cycle.
The present method solves these problems and has advantages over other sequencing methods. Stepwise addition of nucleotides is unnecessary, as all four nucleotides are added simultaneously. Sequence information is produced continuously as polymerases continually incorporate all four nucleotides into growing nucleic acid [NA] chains. There is no loss of synchronization because single molecules are observed separately. Analysis of single molecules also allows for the use of NA fragments taken directly from organisms. With the present method, it is no longer necessary to prepare NA for sequencing using cloning or amplification processes, although NA so prepared can still be sequenced. In addition, there is the possibility of sequencing and genotyping many different nucleic acids on a single surface simultaneously.